Category: Me and My City

Today phones became smart, computers became smart, politicians became smart and even our young Child’s becoming smart. In-short everything and everyone getting smart with a flow of time and need of an age. Little late to this mission finally our Indian Cities are also getting smarter now. Thanks to Shri Narendra Modi’jee a current prime minister of India for initializing the “Smart City” project phase 1 where in India’s 20 cities undergoing smart city works and project.

What is smart city? Or what is smart city project in India?

Actually there is no concrete answer to this question as there is no universally accepted definition of smart city and even in India we cannot define the exact meaning of smart city as it varies from city to city. However there are couple of boundaries defined by govn. Of India. The smart city mission mainly focusing on to develop entire eco-system of urban which is represented by four pillars of comprehensive development –Institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure.

What elements does the smart city project include?

The core infrastructure elements in a smart city project would be as follows and this is per Govn of India details shared in below URL.

Adequate water supply.

Assured electricity supply.

Sanitation, including solid waste management

Efficient urban mobility and public transport

Affordable housing, especially for the poor

Robust IT connectivity and digitalization.

Good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation

Sustainable environment

Safety and security of citizens particularly women, Children and the elderly

Ok, this is brief about Smart city project lead by Shri Narendra Modi’jee then why we subjected this article with Belgaum name? Ok, ok that’s because Belgaum is one of the cities selected for smart city project in phase 1.

Below is the list of 20 cities which will be part of Smart City project

1

Bhubaneswar, Odisha

11

Indore, Madhya Pradesh

2

Pune, Maharashtra

12

New Delhi Municipal corporation

3

Jaipur, Rajasthan

13

Coimbatore, Tamil nadu

4

Surat, Gujarat

14

Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

5

Kochi, Kerala

15

Belagavi/Belgaum

6

Ahmedabad, Gujarat

16

Udaipur, Rajasthan

7

Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

17

Guwahati, Assam

8

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

18

Chennai, Tamil nadu

9

Solapur, Maharashtra

19

Ludhiana, Punjab

10

Davangere, Karnataka

20

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

A small brief about Belgaum/Belagavi:

A cosmopolitan city Belgaum is also commercial Hub and divisional headquarters of north Karnataka. Belgaum ranks second to Bangalore in the state in terms of overall exports (mainly related to the automotive industry).It is an important source of Vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, fish, mining production and wood. Belgaum is also hub for foundry industries with more than 200+ foundries running.

About people, culture and languages:

Belgaum shares its borders with two Indian states namely Maharashtra and Goa. The large population of the city speaks Marathi and Kannada however we could see all other language peoples leaving with harmony in the city.

Geographically Belgaum is important Hub as it is equidistance from 3 Metro Cities in India namely Mumbai which is capital of Maharashtra, Hyderabad which is capital Telangana, Bangalore which is capital of Karnataka state. The city is well connected via road, rail and by Air. It is just 120-150 kms from another tourist capital of India i.e Goa state.

You can always browse Wikipedia or any other sites on internet covering more information on Belgaum.

Before we conclude this article and wait for to see Belgaum as smart city, check out below images of the city which were captured when city was not smart enough with respect to required infrastructure (Belgaum Before Smart City) but it’s still beautiful. These pics covering most of the major parts of the city and showcase Arial view of the city. The Belgaum city undergoing some of the developmental works with respect to city infrastructure currently and the images which we have below may not reflect same way once these works done. However these memories will help always to cherish olden days or city when we are in future in next few years.

Hope you like them…awaiting to become part of my Smart city 🙂 and you..?

What makes you happy when you are sad, stressed sometimes or makes you more happy when you just happy in your life?

That is enjoying each moments with your loved one, sharing most of your difficult times with your loved ones or with your friends. At the end our mind or heart needs some kind of relaxation which it feels good for it. So what’s to be done if you are in place like Belgaum…?

As most of us know or peoples who visited Belgaum know as this is one of the paradise on this earth where anyone can feel relaxed face of life. If the infrastructure of the city (Belgaum) improved there is no other place we can find in India which is better than Belgaum.

So for now, you may be thinking why I am talking all of these…So answer is, yes today I want to walk you all to one of great place in My city which is very Beautiful and one of the great picnic spot if you want to spend some time with your family or if you want to relax for some time to forgot all your sorrows.

The name of this place is “Killa Talav” or “Kote Kere”. The place is only one but there are two names. For some it is “Killa Talav” and for some it’s “Kote Kere”. The meaning of this word is simple i.e

Killa (In Marathi)=Fort, Kote(In Kannada) =Fort

Talav(In Marathi)=Lake Kere(In Kannada)=Lake

Killa Talav Belgaum(KoteKere)

The lake, nestling in the heart of the city, adjacent to the historical Belgaum Fort, is now the most sought-after venue by all such individuals who not only like to explore nature’s beauty but also feel a part of it. The Lake is renovated in recent years so well, as it is now one of the tourist spot in north Karnataka.

Imagine how one would feel while taking a walk along a natural lake with the sun rising beautifully and lending a healing touch, and a variety of birds chirping melodiously to make the morning musical, pleasant and welcoming. This imagination will transform into an experience so much that one would seek for it every day on his very first visit to the charming Killa Talav or Kote Kere (Fort Lake).

I will not bore you much with my bad writing skills and now the time to take you to world of natural beauty.

The lake, which has a small island, is now house to a host of birds of different species, which is also attracting bird watchers. A more than two-kilometer long single pathway around the lake with cement chairs to relax on, in the lush green and serene atmosphere, lends a haunting view and delightful feeling to the visitors.

The lake, equipped with different recreational facilities, promises a refreshing feeling and much-needed relaxation after the day’s stressful work, indeed. It also promises great fun for the children, while the young would find it difficult to resist from venturing out into the calm waters in a boat and become one with nature. The lake, which is now managed by Darshan Udyog Samuha, has created several recreational facilities, including games and amusement rides for children, besides boating by investing more than Rs. 60 lakh.

I hope you all like the above photos and thinking about visiting this place if you are in Belgaum. You can reach Belgaum by Bus, Train and through Flight (only from Mumbai at present). It’s equally distanced from Bangalore, Mumbai and from Hyderabad i.e 500 kms and 150 kms from Goa.

So visit this place and Enjoy the fresh Air, nature and cool climate 🙂

Belgaum, One of the oldest town in karnataka and major district. The city is situated in the northwestern parts of Karnataka and lies at the border of two states, Maharashtra and Goa on the western ghats (50 km from Goa state border).Situated near the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain range (Western Ghats) at an altitude of about 779m, 100 km from the Arabian Sea with the river Markandeya flowing nearby.

Belgaum is well known for its pleasant climate throughout the year. It is at its coldest in winter (November – February temperatures dropping to 9 degrees Celsius), and experiences continuous monsoon during July to September. The annual average rainfall is over 200 cm” , 2000 mm.

Belgaum has the different names such as Garibanche Mahabaleshwar (Poor man’s Mahabaleshwar), Kunda nagari (Because of famous Kunda which is made only in Belgaum), Sugar city (Because it has maximum number of sugar factories in Karnataka)

Belgaum is located 502 km from Bangalore and 154 km from Panaji. Nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats, it enjoys a cool, salubrious climate and is surrounded by natural beauty in the form of rivers, hills and dense evergreen forests covered tourists places like Amboli, Sindhudurg district, jamboti etc.

Inside the city, A wide variety of historical sites, temples and churches exist in and around the city, most notably the fort Kamala Basti, Kapileshwar temple (South Kashi), the hills of Vaijyanath, Ramtirth in Kanbargi, the aerodrome at Sambra and others.

So we start with Temples in and arround Belgaum and good picnic spots,

Military Mahadev

Military mahadev, is one of the favorite place for belgaumits to unwind from busy life and enjoy picnic with families. The Military Mahadeva is maintained by the Maratha Light infantry. There is lord shiva temple and that’s the reason it is called as “Military Mahadev”. By visiting this place one can enjoy the greenary of nature, a small zoo, Shivthirth (A beautiful place with replicas of Shivajis Forts).

Military Mahadev Temple(Belgaum)

Greenary at Military Mahadev, Belgaum

Small Zoo at Military Mahadev, Belgaum

Emu, the largest Bird and native of Australia

Let’s go to histroy (Shivthirth a place which takes you to histroy)

Shivthirth Entrance (www.deepjeevani.com)

SindhuDurg

Replica of Sindhudurga fort at Shivthirth, Belgaum

1664-Construction of the fort started by Shivaji Maharaj

1665-Treaty with Portuguese to Ensure smooth building up of own navy

1666- Shivaji Maharaj went to agra, Construction of fort continues

1667-Construction of fort completed.

1708-Fort under the control of Maharani Tarabhai

1763-Attack by the Portuguese, However they go back

1765-Fort under the control of British and renamed as “Fort Augustus”

1766-Fort again under the control of Marathas.

1805-Sawantwandikar’s Attack fails

1818-Control of the fort Passes on to British

१६६४-शिवाजी महाराजने किले को बनाना शुरू किया

१६६५-आरमार के उन्नति के लिये पोर्तूगीज से मैत्री का करार

१६६६-शिवाजी महाराज आग्रा गये, किले का काम जारी

१६६७-किले का निर्माण पुरा

१७०८-किला महाराणी ताराबाई के पास

१७६३-पोर्तुगीजो का हमला पर नाकाम

१७६५- किला अंग्रेझो के कब्जे मेई और किले का नाम फोर्ट ऑगस्टस रखा गया

१७६६-किला फिर मराठों के कब्जे मे

१८०५-सावंतवाडीकर का किले पार हमाला नाकामयाब

१८१८-किला अंग्रेजो के पास

VijayDurg

Replica of VijayDurg at Shivthirth, Belgaum

13th Century- Shilhar Bhoj Raja Constructed the Fort

1218- Domination of Yadavs

1354-Reign of Vijaynagar king

1565-Moghals defeat Vijaynagar king and seize power

1653-Shivaji Maharaj captures fort and names it Vijaygurg.

1698-Fort became the main base of Dariyaganj sena, Kanhoji anger became the chief of this sena